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N Korea talks end 'without deal' N Korea talks end 'without deal'
(20 minutes later)
The six-party talks on the dismantling of North Korea's nuclear programme have ended without any real breakthrough, officials are quoted as saying.The six-party talks on the dismantling of North Korea's nuclear programme have ended without any real breakthrough, officials are quoted as saying.
Despite five days of negotiations, the talks had broken up "without concrete results", Russia's Interfax news agency reported one source as saying. Despite five days of negotiations in Beijing, the talks broke up and no date for a resumption has been announced.
The talks involved the US, North Korea, China, South Korea, Japan and Russia.The talks involved the US, North Korea, China, South Korea, Japan and Russia.
They had resumed after a 13 month break, and two months after North Korea carried out a nuclear test. They had resumed after a 13-month break, and two months after North Korea sparked international condemnation by carrying out a nuclear test.
Chinese envoy Wu Dawei released a statement that simply reaffirmed an agreement from September 2005 that the North would agree to disarm in return for aid and guarantees of security.
Mr Wu said the six nations would "reconvene at the earliest opportunity".
Stumbling block
Hopes of a breakthrough had faded as the tough negotiations continued into the fifth day.
N KOREA NUCLEAR PROGRAMME Believed to have 'handful' of nuclear weaponsBut not thought to have any small enough to put in a missileCould try dropping from plane, though world watching closely Low hopes for talks Text of September 2005 deal Talks absorb regional press
The US had criticised Pyongyang over its insistence that US financial sanctions be lifted, while refusing to focus on the question of its denuclearisation.
US envoy Christopher Hill accused the North of failing to take the talks seriously.
"When the [North] raises problems, one day it's financial issues, another day it's something they want but they know they can't have, another day it's something we said about them that hurt their feelings," he said.
"What they need to do is to get serious about the issue that made them such a problem... their nuclear activities."
The US has been trying to persuade North Korea to implement the September 2005 deal.
Diplomats say the US offered North Korea a further package of incentives - including a written guarantee not to attack - if it agreed to halt its nuclear work and allow verification by UN inspectors.
But the stumbling block is the US decision, soon after the September 2005 agreement was reached, to blacklist a Macau-based bank containing $24m of North Korean money.
Washington accused the bank of involvement in alleged money-laundering and counterfeiting activities by Pyongyang. It led North Korea to walk out of the talks.